VitaminWater—sounds healthy, right? Although VitaminWater does have vitamins, it also has 33 grams—that’s 2 heaping tablespoons—of sugar, making it not much better than a soda. VitaminWater, owned by Coca-Cola, has been under fire from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer-advocacy group that fights for safer, more nutritious foods. The CSPI filed a class-action lawsuit against Coca-Cola, claiming names for VitaminWater flavors such as “endurance peach mango” and “focus kiwi strawberry” are misleading for two reasons: (1) the drinks contain 0 to 1 percent juice and (2) words like “endurance,” “focus,” “defense,” “rescue,” and “energy” imply health benefits. Coca-Cola’s defense was that reasonable consumers would not be misled into believing that VitaminWater is healthy for them.

1. Debate whether or not Coca-Cola is deliberately trying to deceive consumers into believing that VitaminWater is a healthy alternative to soda.

2. Find two other examples of brands that use names, words, colors, package shapes, or other elements to convey potentially deceptive meanings to consumers.